The 2014 Oceania Seniors Championship was held in Sydney at the start of the month. The reduction qualification age to 50 years or older ensured a record turnout of 38 players from Australia and New Zealand, including Bob Clarkson from the Otago club.
The hot favourite was first time qualifier at age 50, IM Gary Lane of Sydney. But in his battle for the title, he was matched point for point by second seed FM Bob Smith of Mt Maunganui. Going into the final round these two had drawn with each other in round four and won all their other games. Smith was held to a draw in the final round by defending champion, Queenslander David Lovejoy, in a marathon game of 121 moves. Meanwhile Lane won to take clear first place on 6½/7. Smith finished second on 6 points, well ahead of Jeff Cabilin of New South Wales in third on 5 points.
Today's game is from the sixth round, where Lovejoy almost carries off another upset in his game against Lane, who has the black pieces.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nge7
The rarely played Cozio Defence (Deferred) to the Ruy Lopez. Black shores up his knight defending the e5 pawn and blocks his bishop, which must find an alternative path to develop on the long diagonal. 5. O-O g6 6. c3 Bg7 7. h3
The main move is 7. d4, but the game soon transposes back to normal lines. 7... O-O 8. d4 exd4 9. cxd4 b5 10. Bb3 d6 11. a3!?
An unconventional plan, intending to maintain the bishop on the more effective a2-g8 diagonal. After 11. Nc3 Na5 12. Bc2 c5 Black went on to win in Leko-Aronian, Moscow 2009. 12... Bb7 12. Nc3 h6 13. Ba2 b4!?
Preventing the threatened 14. b4 by White, after which Black's queenside play involving ...Na5 and ...c5 as in the Leko-Aronian game would be stifled. 14. axb4 Nxb4 15. Bc4
An alternative was 15. Bb3! when 15... d5 can be met by 16. e5 with the makings of a strong kingside attack. Now white must exchange pawns instead. 15... d5 16. exd5
Missing the cunning intermezzo 16. Qb3! exploiting the looseness of Black pieces. After 16... a5 17. exd5 Nexd5 White has a small plus, having eliminated the possibility of the other knight recapture on d5. 16... Nexd5?!
Better was 16... Nbxd5! retrieving the knight from its loose position on the b-file, with a balanced position. White now activates his queen with a gain of tempo. 17. Qb3! Rb8 18. Ne5?!
Persevering with his aggressive a2-g8 diagonal strategy, but the simple developing 18. Re1 promised a small plus after 18... Bc6 19. Ne4. Without adequate support, White's central pieces become vulnerable. 18... Ba8 19. Ne4 Qe7
Missing a chance to get on the counter-attack with 19... Nc6! 20. Nxc6 Bxc6 21. Qf3 Qh4 pressuring the weak d-pawn. 20. Qg3!?
White goes for broke, abandoning the d-pawn to its fate. After 20. Re1 Nc6 21. Nxc6 Bxc6 22. Qf3! Nb6 23. Bb3 Kh8! White's threats are dwindling and the pawn is doomed anyway. 20... Nc2 21. Rxa6 Nxd4 22. f4?
Seemingly necessary to prop up White crumbling central mass of pieces, this move is too slow. The sacrifice 22. Nxg6!! fxg6 (22... Qxe4? 23. Nxf8 Rxf8 24. Bd3 is better for White) 23. Qxg6 Kh8! 24. Bxh6 Nf4! 25. Bxf4 Bxe4 26. Qh5+ Bh7 27. Bd3 Nf5 28. Ra5 Qe8! 29. Qxe8 Rbxe8 30. Bxc7 Bxb2 eliminates all the black pawns, leaving the three white kingside pawns against the black knight. It would be hard to lose this ending, and the attack could easily have been more successful if Black failed to find the best defence. 22... Nb6!
Cutting off the White rook and attacking two pieces at once, White's overextended position crumbles. White Resigns
Perhaps a little prematurely, but after the forced line 22. Qd3 Nxc4 23. Qxc4 Rb4 24. Qc5 Qxc5 25. Nxc5 Ne2+ 26. Kh2 Nxc1 27. Rxc1 Rxb2 Black's extra passed pawn and raking bishops amount to a winning advantage.
Lane takes Oceania Seniors title
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
The 2014 Oceania Seniors Championship was held in Sydney at the start of the month. The reduction qualification age to 50 years or older ensured a record turnout of 38 players from Australia and New Zealand, including Bob Clarkson from the Otago club.
The hot favourite was first time qualifier at age 50, IM Gary Lane of Sydney. But in his battle for the title, he was matched point for point by second seed FM Bob Smith of Mt Maunganui. Going into the final round these two had drawn with each other in round four and won all their other games. Smith was held to a draw in the final round by defending champion, Queenslander David Lovejoy, in a marathon game of 121 moves. Meanwhile Lane won to take clear first place on 6½/7. Smith finished second on 6 points, well ahead of Jeff Cabilin of New South Wales in third on 5 points.
Today's game is from the sixth round, where Lovejoy almost carries off another upset in his game against Lane, who has the black pieces.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nge7
The rarely played Cozio Defence (Deferred) to the Ruy Lopez. Black shores up his knight defending the e5 pawn and blocks his bishop, which must find an alternative path to develop on the long diagonal.
5. O-O g6
6. c3 Bg7
7. h3
The main move is 7. d4, but the game soon transposes back to normal lines.
7... O-O
8. d4 exd4
9. cxd4 b5
10. Bb3 d6
11. a3!?
An unconventional plan, intending to maintain the bishop on the more effective a2-g8 diagonal. After 11. Nc3 Na5 12. Bc2 c5 Black went on to win in Leko-Aronian, Moscow 2009.
12... Bb7
12. Nc3 h6
13. Ba2 b4!?
Preventing the threatened 14. b4 by White, after which Black's queenside play involving ...Na5 and ...c5 as in the Leko-Aronian game would be stifled.
14. axb4 Nxb4
15. Bc4
An alternative was 15. Bb3! when 15... d5 can be met by 16. e5 with the makings of a strong kingside attack. Now white must exchange pawns instead.
15... d5
16. exd5
Missing the cunning intermezzo 16. Qb3! exploiting the looseness of Black pieces. After 16... a5 17. exd5 Nexd5 White has a small plus, having eliminated the possibility of the other knight recapture on d5.
16... Nexd5?!
Better was 16... Nbxd5! retrieving the knight from its loose position on the b-file, with a balanced position. White now activates his queen with a gain of tempo.
17. Qb3! Rb8
18. Ne5?!
Persevering with his aggressive a2-g8 diagonal strategy, but the simple developing 18. Re1 promised a small plus after 18... Bc6 19. Ne4. Without adequate support, White's central pieces become vulnerable.
18... Ba8
19. Ne4 Qe7
Missing a chance to get on the counter-attack with 19... Nc6! 20. Nxc6 Bxc6 21. Qf3 Qh4 pressuring the weak d-pawn.
20. Qg3!?
White goes for broke, abandoning the d-pawn to its fate. After 20. Re1 Nc6 21. Nxc6 Bxc6 22. Qf3! Nb6 23. Bb3 Kh8! White's threats are dwindling and the pawn is doomed anyway.
20... Nc2
21. Rxa6 Nxd4
22. f4?
Seemingly necessary to prop up White crumbling central mass of pieces, this move is too slow. The sacrifice 22. Nxg6!! fxg6 (22... Qxe4? 23. Nxf8 Rxf8 24. Bd3 is better for White) 23. Qxg6 Kh8! 24. Bxh6 Nf4! 25. Bxf4 Bxe4 26. Qh5+ Bh7 27. Bd3 Nf5 28. Ra5 Qe8! 29. Qxe8 Rbxe8 30. Bxc7 Bxb2 eliminates all the black pawns, leaving the three white kingside pawns against the black knight. It would be hard to lose this ending, and the attack could easily have been more successful if Black failed to find the best defence.
22... Nb6!
Cutting off the White rook and attacking two pieces at once, White's overextended position crumbles.
White Resigns
Perhaps a little prematurely, but after the forced line 22. Qd3 Nxc4 23. Qxc4 Rb4 24. Qc5 Qxc5 25. Nxc5 Ne2+ 26. Kh2 Nxc1 27. Rxc1 Rxb2 Black's extra passed pawn and raking bishops amount to a winning advantage.
0-1
Solution: 1. Rxh6+! Kxh6 2. Qe3+ (or 2. g5+ Kxg5 3. Qg4+ Kh6 4. Qh4#) 2... g5 (2... Kh7 3. Qh3#) 3. Qh3+ Kg6 4. Qh5#.